Drive system fob roller coasters



June 16, 1953 c. COOPER DRIVE SYSTEM FOR ROLLER COASTERS 2Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 8, 1951 l||||||i .iblllllll ll INVENTOR Charles L. Cooper June 16, 1953 c. L. COOPER 2,642,005

DRIVE SYSTEM FOR ROLLER COASTERS Filed Jan. 8, 1951 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 5' E I. "V

Ragga a-x nlm Q! l v' y I V I I 7 I V I o 7' l I r V I O V m j 34s 36' a i m .34 3a a Z/ r l 3 I I I 20 229- 7 INVENTOR (4/3- Char/es L.C0oper 5 m ATTORNEY Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DRIVE SYSTEM FOR ROLLER COASTERS Charles L. Cooper, Los Angeles, Calif. Application January 8, 1951, Serial No. 204,943

2 Claims.

This invention relates to vehicular systems of the type exemplified by the familiar roller coaster, I in which unpowered cars running on an endless track are first carried up an ascending section of i the cars into. motion out of the starting station.

An object of the invention is to rapidly and positively accelerate the cars from a standing start at the starting station. I

Another object is to reduce power consumption when the cars are not being drawn.

Other more specific objects and features of the invention will appear from the description to follow.

The conventional roller coaster system has a track that slopes downwardly from the starting station to the base of an ascending, inclined section, and the latter is provided with a constantly running chain that engages the cars as they reach the base of the inclined section and pull them up, the cars disengaging from the chain as they pass over the top of the incline, and start their downward travel under the force of gravity. As each car completes its run and enters the starting station, it is stopped by a brake, and the track being downwardly inclined at the starting station the car can be started by gravity on another trip by simpl releasing the brake.

This well known priorj system has the disadvantages that:

(1)v Acceleration out of the starting station is slow; i g

(2) It is practically impossible to so control the gravity acceleration of the car between the starting station and the point where the constantly moving chain picks it up, that the speed of the car approximates that of the chain, so that the chain picks up the car with a jerk that is unpleasant to the passengers and is hard on the equipment; 7

(3) The chain is driven constantly at fixed speed with resultant power waste and constant noise and wear.

In accordance with the present invention, I eliminate the aforelisted disadvantages by causing the chain to engage the car in the starting station, stopping the chain except when it is moving a car, and accelerating the chain and car together from a standing start to move the car rapidly out of the station and up the incline. I further provide a power system for the chain consisting of a prime mover, such as an internal combustion engine, coupled to the chain .by a fluid drive clutch. When thecars are not being moved, the engine is idled, and the clutch slips,

permitting the chain to be held stationary by engagement with a car in the starting station. To set the car in motion, its brakes are released, and the engine is accelerated, causing automatic increase in the torque transmitted through the fluid clutch. ,The engine then rapidly picks up the load with a smooth acceleration.

A full understanding of the invention may be had from the following description which refers to the drawing.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a very simple roller coaster system incorporating the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevational view taken in the plane II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detailed horizontal section taken in the plane III-III of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a detailed cross-section in the plane IVIV of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a detailed longitudinal vertical section in the plane V-.-V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a cross-section in the plane VIVI of Fig. 5; and

Fig. 7 is a detailed vertical longitudinal section through the rear portion of a car and the track showing the driving engagement between the chain and the car.

Referring to Fig. 1 there is shown an endless track In having a station section lab and an ascending inclined section Illa extending therefrom. The rest of the track from the top of the inclinedsection [0b back to the station section Illa has an average downward inclination, to cause the cars H to move by gravity back to the starting station section, which is preferably sub stantially level. The cars may be stopped at the starting section by the usual braking mechanism, one form of which is-illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6 to be described later. The cars are moved out of the starting station by a power-driven chain I2, which is trained over sprocket wheels 13, I4, l5, and i6, and extends under at least a portion of the station section of the track and all of the ascending inclined section lllb. One of the sprockets, in this instance the sprocket I4, is

power-driven to move the chain, and the remaining sprockets are idlers. The main portion of the upper reach of the chain I2 is in the plane of the track and midway between the track rails I 00, lllc. As shown in Fig. i, the chain :2 may slide along a center rail l8 which rests in a channel member IS the upwardly extending 3 flanges |9a of which serve as lateral guides for the chain.

Each car H may be provided with a downwardly depending hook 20 (Fig. 7) extending into the path of the chain I2 for engaging the latter and causing the chain to propel the car when the chain tends to move faster than the car. The hook is hingedly supported from the car at its upper end-by:a'=pin :2 I -so that:it-can-swing out of engagement with the.;chain 'when :the forward movement of the car exceeds that of the chain.

The drive sprocket I4 is shown powered by an internal combustion engine 22 (Figs. 1 and 3), which has built integral with it ea-fluid drive clutch 23, through which the engine..d1:lves a shaft 24. The shaft 24 is coupled through a universal joint 25 and a gear boxfifi withassha'ft to which is keyed the drive sprocket i4.

As is well known, a fluid drive clutch'has the characteristic of transmitting very little torque at low speed but substantiallyfull torque =atnormal running speed. Thereforawhen' the engine '22 is idling very little torque is applied to the driveisprocket l4, and the latter can be'heldstationary by it own frictional 'resistance'tomotion or by'the resistance'of acar held in'th'e starting station by .the usual brake. "However when the engine is accelerated by opening thethrottle -36, substantial torque is appliedto the sha'ft'24, and if the latter'isfree'to turn,'the torque increases as the shaft speed increases, resulting in theshaft speed increasing substantially to the engine speed. I

As shown schematically in Figs. Band 6,*a suit able brake for stopping and "holdingthe car in 'lever 37,.locatedadjacent the'throttle leverfi'll. It

will be observed thatby'swinging the. upper end of the lever 37 clockwise,"with' reference to'Fig.i5, the brake shoes .3I are raised to;engageithe 1under faces of thebrake elements 32 on the cars and stopthe latter.

In operation, as *a car or ttrain'o'f "cars l'l "finishes its run .and .enters 'the starting station it is brought to a halt by manipulation of the brake lever 31 to apply'theibrakes, in accordance with prior practice. Priorto thistime, the engine "22 will have been-slowed to idling speedby closure of thethrottle 30, so that if the friction of'the'chain l2 itself is not enoughtostopititis stopped by engagement with the hook 20 'on one or more of the stopped cars.

The cars are started on a new 'runby simply releasing the brake lever 3'! and opening the throttle'30 to accelerate the engine" 2'2. "This applies traction to the chain'throughth'efluid drive 23, and the chain and cars-acceleratetogether, carrying the cars out of the starting station'and up the ascending inclined section lb of the track, The engine 22 is preferably so proportioned to the load as to accelerate the chain and will occur to a person skilled in the art, and I do not desire to be limited to the exact details shown and described.

1. "In a vehicular system of the type described: 'a ftr'ackihaving approximately level loading station section merging into an ascending inclined section; a drive chain and means supporting a section thereof parallel to and in close proximity, to said station and inclined sections of said track; "a car on said track andmeans for coupling "said car to said chain during movement of said car over said station and inclined sections of the track for propulsion of the'carby said chain; a 'variable speed prime mover; brake means for selectively holding said car stationary on said station sectiono'fsaid track; and-means for coupling 'said'prim'e*'mover driving'rel'ation to said chain comprising a-fluid drive clutch=the power transmitting characteristic of which varies with the speed of saidprime'mover.

"2. Inan amusement=ridesystem=comprising an endless track with cars thereon, said'track having a loading section 'onwhi'ch the cars are stopped, an ascending section Zleading from=the loading section, and a coasting section extending from the top of'th'e ascending section' back to the loading section over whichthe cars are propelled by gravity; braking means for stopping andhol'ding cars on said loading section; a drivechain and means supporting a portion thereof parallel to and in close proximity to said station and 'as- 'c'ending sections of said "track 'me'ans '-'for positively coupling each car to -:said chain against 'rearwardmovement "relative-to the phain while it is juxtaposed to said portion of 'sai'd chain; adriv- 'ing motor; and transmission'means including 'a slippable clutch coupling said motortosaid chain, whereby stoppage of a car in saidloading section .:by said brake stops .said "chain by slipping said clutch,'and'releasing the brake an'dengaging the clutchacceleratessaid chain, and-accelerates "the "car engaged therebyout of said loading section and up said ascending section of track.

CHARLES L. COOPER.

References Cited inthe file of this patent UNITED STATES .TBA'IEENTS Number Name .Date

780,348 .Jackman .Jan. 17, 1905 1,713,793 Traver May.2l,=1-929 '2',393';563 ..-Petterson Jan. 22,1946

OTHER "REFERENCES An article entitled Fluid Drive for Mining Machinery which appeared onpa es 30-34 of theDecember, 19.4.1, .issueof theMin'ing Congress Journal. .Acopy of this magazine may be found inthe ScientificLibrary of the,Patent Ofiice. 

